“Come to me my babies! Let me quell your pain!” Jim Jones Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
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After the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict it was not long before there was speculation about who will be the next pope. That night I was in a room that had the BBC on. Whenever they got to talk about the eventual successor speculation was not even from what country will the Pope come from but what continent? I have no idea how long before it took me to realize that since by all accounts we seem to have a fine cardinal in Tagle that inevitably KSP pinoys will treat the conclave like American Idol. Of course I dread that high shriek of KSPs rooting for the Pinoy in any “contest” much more than Lindsay Lohan dreads rehab. For what it’s worth you can bet on who the next pope will be but the article does not mention the KSP’s favorite choice.
I was expecting it from your typical “Basta Pinoy Da Best” yahoo. Turns out I should have expected it from a 2004 presidential candidate. What is it about running for president in this country that either affects judgement or attracts people with lack of judgement?
Just like Noynoy “BS” Aquino had the audacious slogan that a vote for him will end poverty and corruption. Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s tweet proposes that the person who will preside as pope will have their nation blessed with increased commerce and abundant prestige. More on that prestige later. Back in 2004 I knew of a MBA professor who I was quite fond of as both a teacher and a person. She campaigned tirelessly for Bro. Eddie. I heavily question what he would have done with the country had he won the presidency if he believes nationality of the highest post in a religion he does not subscribe to will transform the corresponding country’s economic status.
I have one life to live. I am fortunate as of now not to sit around all day wondering what to do. During the times of the day that I can make choices I have a simple philosophy. “Quality not nationality. ” It sounds simple really but for many pinoys it is the other way around. They will cheer for nationality and somehow dress it up as quality. Like I said in my blog 18 Things …... People buy emotionally and try to defend their emotional choice with whatever logic the usual pinoy can generate. If there is anything the pinoy is good at , it’s the art of emo. That’s why we have Noynoy. Our country grieves via the ballot box.
There have been more than a few GRP blogs that espouse atheism and such. It has caused some on the outside to believe that GRP as a whole is atheist. I can only speak for me and let me assure you I am not an atheist despite the fact that I believe I am substandard in the execution of my faith in my daily life. I still see myself as a believer. Every single one of us has their own perception what God is. For some that perception is the same perception they reserve for the Easter Bunny. To each their own. Which goes the same for Bro. Eddie who believes that God will bless the world with a Filipino pope to bless this country with economic prosperity. Maybe in the real world there is some tangible subtle link with a religious hierarchy and material rewards but look what Bro. Eddie is saying in his tweet: If the Pope is one of us then more money !! I have no idea how he is saying anything else.
Respect? Pinoys want respect we all know that but do they give respect? They don’t even respect their own laws. I wrote a blog making the case that the pinoy culture does not respect life. Pinoys want respect but I don’t recall one pinoy giving any kind of respect or prestige to Poland and Germany ( you know the countries that produced the last two popes) . I am also not familiar with any economic windfall those two countries experienced in 1978 and 2005. Maybe because Brother Eddie is running for Senator he is dishing out hope in Twitter. Hint Bro. Eddie next time give a hypothetical situation that does not have a track record contrary to what you are promising.
If you have not read The Three Kings of the United Nationalist Alliance from here in GRP I highly recommend it. I will gladly point to that blog piece to anybody who claims I am cynical about the Filipino population.. It lays out what I believe is the lasting legacy of Erap and how it does not seem like we learn anything from one election to the other. That is what I see in this Brother Eddie Tweet. You have to ask yourself if that inability to learn defines us.
Catholicism seems to have less and less claim to this country yet the thought of a Filipino as the one true religious rock star in the world has the KSPs salivating like a starving man on a Christmas ham. Brother Eddie seems like he wants to erect a billboard of himself and his candidacy in that highway towards pansin. Contrary to Bro. Eddie’s tweet , my God is not racist.
Prayer is an important aspect in this tweet. I personally intend to pray that they pick a pope that everyone can work with. A pope that will strengthen everybody’s desire to work together towards human kindness. A pope that will be able to communicate favorably with Catholics and non Catholics and people who feel disenfranchised from the Catholic Church. A pope that can make a dent in a lot of the pain that is attributed by some to the Church. Contrast that with Bro.Eddie’s wish that the pope be Filipino so that just the Philippines prosper. For someone who feels that he has a monopoly on how Christianity should be lived out he sure seems very short sighted. My God is not racist.
Is the guy politicking in the name of God? Is he appealing to the KSP of the nation for votes. Christianity (faith based on Christ as opposed to Budda or Mohammed or solely the Old Testament) was pretty much unified for a thousand years then there was the Great Schism that split them into two. Five hundred years later came that row with Henry VIII / Anne Boleyn. / Martin Luther in the 16th century. From that first breakaway from the Catholic Church ( which was caused by a desire to change wives) came breakaway after breakaway. I can’t imagine how watered down the JIL of Brother Eddie is since that breakaway. Yet for some reason the nationality of the Pope is of importance to him. I bring this up not to be on a high horse as far as the Catholic Church is concerned but to illustrate what bugs me about politicians being opportunists and jumping on the bandwagon.
Catholicism gets a bad rap. Sure there are bad eggs in the biggest single unified religion in the world. What I find fascinating about Bro. Eddie is he a hybrid of two professions with shaky reputations. Politician and TV minister. Once again time to do the Colin Cowherd test which is say it out loud and hear how it sounds. ” I will put my faith in politician/ TV minister who started his own religion. If you can live with that premise you are truly a person of faith.
Maybe I have a feeble mind but I can not comprehend one day waking up and deciding to start a distinct division of organized religion based on how I personally viewed Jesus Christ. Above is the timeline of Christianity. You can see the original chart here. I mean there have been centuries of accumulated study and experience not just among Catholics but other durable forms of Christianity. It either takes extreme humility or extreme hubris for an individual to get that point where none of the options that exist work so I will make my own. Not that different I guess from refraining from a pizza combination on the menu and just ordering your own four combo topping. I love how the Bishops are always told to stay out of politics yet maybe I missed Bro. Eddie getting that same lecture.
Try doing any Google research on Bro. Eddie’s Jesus is Lord church. All I see are either Wikipedia entries or websites organic to the organization. There was one negative review. I get the impression that despite the posted six million followers, it seems to be a quiet six million as they say in baseball. It’s only in the Philippines or among Filipinos. In the Parable of the Lost Sheep the shepherd leaves 99 of his flock to find the one lost sheep. Is Bro. Eddie leaving the six million to attend to the Senate?
Bro. Eddie rooting for a Filipino pope is hypocritical. He is anchoring himself to something I feel he has distanced himself from to be pragmatic. Bro. Eddie seems to view the position of pope less as a religious leader but more of a celebrity that he will use to endear himself to voters using the glue of nationality and pansin.
I had a very distinct reaction when I read his initial tweet about a Filipino pope. I was told I could possibly be misinterpreting what Bro. Eddie meant. I went to his Twitter page and I found this Tweet. It’s amazing how much 140 characters can say. He talks about regaining honor, dignity and respect meaning pinoys have a minimum of those qualities now. Once regained he stresses pinoys will be treated (future tense) fairly, justly and honorably. I can only assume the event that triggers the increased honor, dignity and respect will be the projected Filipino Pope? Maybe I am not a good intrepreter but for me he is clearly playing the pinoy is victim card. Then he paints a picture of redemption brought on a by a man who represents a religion that does not recognize his ministry. Not sure about you but this is campaigning in my eyes.
Bro. Eddie does not recognize the Pope as any kind of religious authority but he is OK to parasite on the position in terms of attention and furthering his own personal political cause. He could care less about what any Pope has to say relevant to the religion he founded but if he can hitch his wagon to him using the hook of nationality , by golly he will exploit it. Who is talking to you? The Bro. Eddie Man of God (chosen to make a new branch of Christianity) or the Bro. Eddie Man of Pinoy Politics? Can both distinct co exist in the same person? Don’t know about you but I feel like I need a shower.
Putting a very sharp needle into the balloon known as Pinoy Pride since 2012.
“Catholicism gets a bad rap”, so here’s a bad rap!
Papal rap – vatican style
“Stercus accidit” (translation -sh!t happens)
I’m the pope, don’t ya know it,
Hot and hard, let me show it,
Kneel, and you just blow it,
It’s no sin, if you love it.
(Chorus – oompah, oompah, – stick it in and pump her)
Get down in the orchestra pit,
Good god!, now just smack it,
Two cymbals and a trumpet,
Played so hard by a g-stringed strumpet.
(Chorus – oompah, oompah, – bend ‘er over and rump her)
Suck and blow, just don’t quit,
Swallow hard, and never spit,
Hail mary! – now cover your tit,
Sermon coming – just wait a bit.
(Chorus – oompah, oompah –
Two puppies in a jumper)
All is over in a lickety split,
Am a bad boy, i confess it,
Such a very naughty habit,
Nuns and boys, – oh lord, so fit.
(Chorus – oompah, oompah – play hard, but never thump her)
Must go for an ecclesiastical sh!t,
Money is on the altar, plus tip.
Next time, the cross and a whip,
Jesus, how i look foward to it.
(Chorus – oompah, oompah – my prayers to st peter)
“Amare et sapere vix Papa conceditur” – (translation – Even the Pope finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time)
That’s a bad rap all right. Of course at my age , rap music is an oxymoron. Peace rap fans.
Ok. I know i can’t rap
And my singing is a load of cr@p
But at the age of seventy three
Its the best it’s gonna be
Love and peace to bro eddie.
And, in the church, no homosexuality
Gogs,
You inspired me to become an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. And thanks for the link to the information on the odds for pope. I’m placing a bet on Cardinal Turkson.
Peace.
I am glad to be an inspiration, anytime and anywhere. I am also glad that you were informed where to gamble.
Very good points there, Gogs! Bro. Eddie’s tweet about the next pope was so plastic and too ‘trapo’ already. #user #irresponsible
Thanks Crissy. My point exactly is that he is not being a man of God when he says that, he is flirting with Catholic vote. You know one of my main themes is jumping on the bandwagon and that is exactly what this guy is doing.
Philippine Catholism, known in the Vatican as the “Church of the Poor” could be the home of the next international star in Cardinal Tagle. If Tagle becomes Pope, he will be the fall guy task to clean up homosexuality among their own rank.
Well there are really some certain advantages if the Philippines had a Filipino Pope:
Remember when Pope John Paul II became Pope. He was from Poland, a country that was still under the thumb of the Soviet Union when he became Pope. John Paul II played a big role in bring the end to the Soviet Empire and in freeing his homeland. What could Cardinal Tagle accomplish for the Philippines were he to become Pope?
Can you imaging the impact that a Filipino Pope could have on ending corruption in the Philippines. I can’t imagine any Filipino politician, no matter how corrupt, doing corrupt actions with a Filipino Pope keeping a close eye on his homeland! I believe that a lot of good could happen for the Philippines and for the Filipino people should Luis Antonio Tagle become the next Pope.
I am NOT Catholic too.
I was raised Catholic, but left the Church. It just was not the right Church for me. Because of that, I don’t really have a horse in this race. I watch with interest, though, because the country where I live is such a strongly Catholic nation. If Tagle were to become Pope I believe that for the first time, who the Pope is would have an impact on my life, because I do believe that he would have an impact on the Philippines. His impact could be good or bad. I mean, having an even more influential Church meddling in the government of the Philippines may not be a good thing. But, in the end, I believe that if Tagle were to become the Pope, his impact would be positive. At least I hope so. At the very least, it would raise the hopes and dreams of the Filipino people, and that is a good thing, no doubt.
So, is it Tagle time? I hope it is! We’ll know in a month or so, I’d guess.
Yes, Bro. Eddie may not recognize the Pope as any kind of religious authority but he may believe that there might be some advantages. And of course disadvantages but I do believe that the former outweights the latter. Yes this is what I believe and maybe what Bro. Eddie believes as well.Or might be a campaign strategy as you think… whatever. we’re free to think. But better yet… ask him.
Thank you meme13164 for your point / counter point
1) I am not an expert on Poland slipping out of the Iron Curtain except the USSR did slowly lose it’s grip over many places as the 80s progressed.
2) a) Italy is no better off in terms of crime, punishment & even Catholicism because of the presence of a pope.
b) Filipino pope will keep a close eye on homeland? He will have a billion Catholics (many in name only) to keep track of.
3) As for Bro. Eddie’s perspective , I can only go by what he says. The tweets are public
I don’t pretend to be the be all and end all of this but if more people ask questions, good.
Thanks for reading and participating in the discussion.
Pope John Paul II’s beliefs were clear cut. He was not a man to whom accommodation would come easily. That is what made him both charismatic and respected as an international figure. In fact, it was under Pope John Paul II that the Vatican became the most active in international affairs.
As a Pole, the Soviet Union feared his involvement at this level would be seen by Poland’s Solidarity movement as a rallying point around which to move against their Russian masters. In contrast, John Paul II counseled Lech Walesa to refrain from any action that would give the Soviets an excuse to bring in the military to quell a union uprising. He warned them (through Poland’s cardinal) NOT to push through with a workers’ strike which he knew would only lead to violence.
As a Catholic, Pope John Paul II opposed communism. This stance lead him to work with the United States and other western states in pursuing a policy which promoted democracy throughout the world. The late William Casey (Ronald Reagan’s CIA director and an ardent Catholic) believed the pope would be an example of faith overcoming situations where military might had failed. John Paul II was given access to and received intelligence briefings from the US State Department and the CIA.
It was also this anti-communist position that led him to become the target of the Soviets. There is evidence that the attempt on John Paul II’s life was orchestrated by the Bulgarian secret service at the behest of the KGB. The actual plot however, seems to have originated in Iran, a country the assassin — Mehmet Ali Agca — visited along with other known Islamic extremist states.
—
As to Pope John Paul II’s DIRECT involvement in the fall of the Soviet empire — I’d say that would be stretching it. After the assassination attempt 1981, he had the unswerving conviction that he was spared that afternoon in St. Peter’s Square to lead the fight back against the sweeping tide of communism and secularism.
However history pinpoints for us the conditions which led to the demise of the Soviet Union. The Soviets had for decades been supporting themselves (and their satellite countries) on oil revenues. They had NO OTHER VIABLE INDUSTRIES. Mikhail Gorbachev took one look at the mess and realized this was untenable. He attempted to push economic reform with programs like Glasnost and Perestroika. It was too little, too late.
By the end of the 1980s Saudi Arabia decided to increase production. That drove oil prices WAY DOWN. From a high of $70 per barrel, prices dropped to $17 per barrel. The cheap oil fueled an unprecedented economic boom from the late 1980s through the 1990s. The calcified Soviet economy simply could not compete with its capitalist counterparts. That culminated in the Soviet Union breaking apart in the early ’90s and the coup that led to Eduard Shevardnadze becoming Russia’s president. Pope John Paul II did not have a hand in Saudi policy as he had by then changed his position in that the more important battle was not between East and West. Rather the war was between Islamic fundamentalism and Christianity.